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Mario Kart DS
Cover art.
Developer(s)	Nintendo EAD
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Release Date(s)                NA: November 14, 2005                JP: December 8, 2005                EU: November 25, 2005                AU: November 17, 2005                KO: April 5, 2007
Platform(s)
Genre(s)	Racing
Rating(s)
ESRB  PEGI  CERO  USK  ACB
03  01  01  01  01
Credits • Gallery • Cheats & Hints • Videos

Mario Kart DS is a racing game rated E for Everyone. It is the fifth installment in the Mario Kart series. Released in November 2005 for the Nintendo DS, this was the first game that used the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. This enabled people to play with everyone from around the world, and also playing with friends via friend codes. The game supports Download Play, using only one game cartridge. Download play also unlocks a special character Shy Guy. Single Player's Grand Prix mode allows you to unlock new characters for each cup and class. In total, there are twelve characters. A notable character is R.O.B., a peripheral for the Nintendo Entertainment System. When you finish the Grand Prix, all characters in and their karts are unlocked. If you play time trials in single player you can unlock a Staff Ghost if you get a fast enough time. There is also a new game mode to the series, mission mode. If you get a star ranking on every single mission, you unlock the seventh set of missions.

Contents 1 New Features 2 Characters 2.1 Playable Characters 2.2 Unlockable Characters 3 Items 4 Obstacles and Hazards 5 Emblems 6 Tracks 6.1 Nitro 6.2 Retro 7 Battle Stages 7.1 Retro Battle Stages 8 Table of Missions 9 Wi-Fi gaming 10 Trivia 11 Critic Reviews 12 See also

New FeaturesEdit

• 3D graphics for the first time on a handheld.
• New "retro cups" with courses designed after past Mario Kart games
• Touchscreen capabilities, although limited
• WiFi play, with Shy Guy as an online exclusive character
• A new "missions" feature.
• A return to single-player karts

CharactersEdit

Playable CharactersEdit

Character	Weight	First Kart	Second Kart	Third Kart
Mario	Medium	Standard MR	B Dasher	Shooting Star
Luigi	Medium	Standard LG	Poltergust 4000	Streamliner
Princess Peach	Light	Standard PC	Royale	Light Tripper
Yoshi	Light	Standard YS	Egg 1	Cucumber
Toad	Light	Standard TD	Mushmellow	4-Wheel Cradle
Donkey Kong	Heavy	Standard DK	Rambi Rider	Wildlife
Wario	Heavy	Standard WR	Brute	Dragonfly
Bowser	Heavy	Standard BW	Tyrant	Hurricane

Unlockable CharactersEdit

Character	Weight	First Kart	Second Kart	Third Kart
Princess Daisy	Medium	Standard DS	Power Flower	Light Dancer
Dry Bones	Light	Standard DB	Banisher	Dry Bomber
Waluigi	Medium	Standard WL	Gold Mantis	Zipper
R.O.B.	Heavy	Standard RB	ROB-BLS	ROB-LGS

ItemsEdit

There are several items in this game (many of them newly introduced), which are typically used to help you get an advantage, or to hinder others.

• Mushroom: Mushrooms are used to give you a short speed boost, which can be very useful in taking shortcuts across rough ground (Which would normally slow you down dramatically) or simply to pass someone. In Battle Mode, you can steal balloons if you hit a opponent during the boost. However, if you have three balloons, you will simply knock off the target's balloons.

• Golden Mushroom: Like a mushroom, you are given a temporary speed boost, but with a golden mushroom, you can use the boost as many times as you want for a limited period of time.

• Banana Peel: A player can set these on the course, or throw them in front of themselves. Either way, if someone runs into it, they'll spin out and, in battle mode, lose a balloon or shine sprite (Depending on which battle mode you're playing)

• Multiple Banana Peels: This allows the player to have a trail of three banana peels trailing them, which the player can then chose to either set individually, or use to block red or green shells, which others can shoot at you.

• Fake Item Boxes: A stationary object, resembling an item box, but, when hit, will cause the one who hit it to spin out, and will be unable to move for a short amount of time. Hitting these can be easily avoided if one knows the course well, if the player pays close attention to the map on the bottom screen, or if you notice that the "?" mark is upside-down on a fake "?" block.

• Red Shell: This shell can either bet set behind you, or shot toward the person nearest in front of you. This shell will track it's target, but is not particularly intelligent. On occasion, it will attempt to pass through walls, which cannot be done. Also, it will NOT bounce off walls.

• Green Shell: Like the red shell, this shell can be set behind you, or shot to the front of you. Unlike the red shell, however, this shell will not track a target, but it will bounce several times, given that it doesn't hit someone before hand.

• Red/Green shell trios: Three red or green shells will orbit the player, blocking most attacks. But, one can chose to shoot these shells toward others, and they will act the same as the single form of either coloured shell.

• Blue Shell: A shell, which, unlike the red and green shells, doesn't slide along the ground, but flies. When used it immediately takes the quickest route toward whoever is in first place in the current race, causing an explosion which makes them to spin out and be temporarily immobile for several seconds, which can completely change the outcome of a race if used at the correct time. But, if the player uses it while s/he is in first place, the shell will come back and hit them. This is a fairly rare item, but when you get it, it is a great help.

• Blooper: An item new to the Mario Kart series, this item causes a blooper to appear on the top screen of everyone who is ahead of you, and shoot ink, obstructing their view. Although, an experienced player is hardly affected by such a minor inconvenience, the Computer-Controlled players seem to suffer a lot from bloopers, as they slow down and make very erratic movements, causing them to be passed by just about anyone.

• Bob-omb: Bob-ombs can be thrown far ahead of the player, or set down behind the player, but either way, the Bob-omb can be deadly. And player unlucky enough to strike the bob-omb, or be within it's blast radius when it explodes, will be taken out of commission for a time almost rivaling that of the flying blue shell.

• Boo: This item makes the player temporarily invulnerable to all items, and to rough ground (Which would normally slow you down) and, attempts to steal another players item.

• Star : Gives temporary immunity to all items, rough terrain, and gives you a small, but noticeable speed boost. Also, anyone they touch will be temporarily stopped, as they get tumbled over.

• Bullet Bill: Temporarily transforms the player into a bullet bill, during which time, they get a speed boost, and are put in a sort of "Auto-Pilot" mode, in which the player is no longer required to do anything until the effect wears off. The bullet will travel the course perfectly, knocking aside anyone who is unlucky enough to be in the way.

• Lightning: This item is used to shrink all players who are ahead of you in the race, along with forcing them to drop their held item on to the course. While shrunk, players move at half their normal speed. The effect of this Lightning bolt wears off in order of place (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.) with the player in first having the effect wear off last.

Obstacles and HazardsEdit

The Mario Kart series has had many obstacles in almost every course, and that also includes Mario Kart DS. Here is a list of all the obstacles that you will encounter.

• Boxes: You'll find wooden boxes throughout the game. Once you crash into a box, it will explode, making you stop, plus, sometimes an item will come out of one once you crash into it.

• Cheep Cheep: Cheep Cheeps are swimming around in the water, so its easy to dodge them since you usually don't have to go there.

• Crab: You will finds crabs on Cheep Cheep Beach, if you run into one, you will suddenly start to spin around for a couple of seconds. This could tragically put you in last place on the account that there near the end of the level.

• Monty Mole: You will find Monty Moles on multiple courses such as Peach Gardens and Moo Moo Farm. You will see small holes in the ground, sometimes, Monty Moles will pop out of the holes and try to spin you out.

• Piranha Plant: Piranha Plants will appear in a couple of courses. They will pop out of there pipe, then try to spit out fire balls at you, or just keep snaping.

• Pokey: You'll find Pokies on the Desert Hills stage. They will be swaying back and forth in one spot. If you crash into one, you'll fly in the air and come back down to the ground, putting off a few seconds of the racing time.

• Rocky Wrench: You'll find Rocky Wrenches on the Airship stage. On this stage, the moles will pop out of the sewers on the ship. Though they don't throw wrenches at you like they do in Super Mario Bros 3, you can still be harmed if you run into them.

EmblemsEdit

This is the newest feature of the game. An emblem is a decal or picture that appears as a sort of symbol for someone on their kart. The emblem appears only on certain places on a kart, and depending on where its put, the emblem may be smaller, bigger and/or stretched out. The player also has the ability to choose from various patterns ranging from a Star to Thunderbolt and also the shape of Mario's face. The player also can choose not to use a custom emblem and to use an original emblem already designed for the a character. Emblems are displayed during All matches, whether VS, Time Trial, or online via Wi-Fi connection.

TracksEdit

NitroEdit

Nitro Grand Prix
#	Mushroom Cup	WFC	Flower Cup	WFC	Star Cup	WFC	Special Cup	WFC
1	Figure-8 Circuit		Desert Hills		DK Pass		Wario Stadium
2	Yoshi Falls		Delfino Square		Tick Tock Clock		Peach Gardens
3	Cheep Cheep Beach		Waluigi Pinball		Mario Circuit		Bowser Castle
4	Luigi's Mansion		Shroom Ridge		Airship Fortress		Rainbow Road

RetroEdit

Retro Grand Prix
#	Origin	Shell Cup	WFC	Banana Cup	WFC	Leaf Cup	WFC	Lightning Cup	WFC
1	SNES	Mario Circuit 1		Donut Plains 1		Koopa Beach 2		Choco Island 2
2	N64	Moo Moo Farm		Frappe Snowland		Choco Mountain		Banshee Boardwalk
3	GBA	Peach Circuit		Bowser Castle 2		Luigi Circuit		Sky Garden
4	GCN	Luigi Circuit		Baby Park		Mushroom Bridge		Yoshi Circuit

Battle Stages Edit

• Nintendo DS
• Twilight House
• Palm Shore
• Tart Top

Retro Battle StagesEdit

• Block Fort (N64)
• Pipe Plaza (GCN)

Table of Missions Edit

Mission Mode
Level 1
1-1	Drive through all 5 numbered gates in order!	0:35	Figure-8 Circuit	Mario
1-2	Collect all 15 coins!	0:30	Peach Circuit	Peach
1-3	Destroy all 10 item boxes!	0:45	Yoshi Falls	Yoshi
1-4	Get the Star and use it to hit 5 Cheep Cheeps!	0:40	Cheep Cheep Beach	Wario
1-5	Drive through all 6 numbered gates in order!	0:30	Nintendo DS	Toad
1-6	Drive out of the mansion...backwards!	0:45	Luigi's Mansion	Luigi
1-7	Collect all 20 coins!	0:35	Moo Moo Farm	DK
1-8	Perform 4 power-slide turbo boosts in 1 lap!	0:45	Mario Circuit 1	Mario
Boss	Use Mushrooms to crash into the Big Bully and knock him off the stage!	3:00	Water Arena*	Yoshi
Level 2
2-1	Crash into all 10 wooden crates and destroy every one!	0:55	Delfino Square	Wario
2-2	Collect all 10 coins!	0:30	Figure-8 Circuit	Yoshi
2-3	Drive through all 5 numbered gates in order!	0:45	Donut Plains 1	DK
2-4	Destroy all 5 item boxes!	0:35	Luigi's Mansion	Luigi
2-5	Collect all 20 coins!	0:30	Cheep Cheep Beach	Peach
2-6	Use Bob-ombs to destroy all 5 Pokeys!	0:55	Desert Hills	Wario
2-7	Drive through all 10 numbered gates in order!	0:55	Luigi Circuit1	Toad
2-8	Perform 6 power-slide turbo boosts in 3 laps!	0:55	Baby Park	Peach
Boss	Hit the Eyerok's eyeball 3 times with shells!	5:00	Sand Arena*	Mario
Level 3
3-1	Destroy all 5 item boxes!	0:50	Waluigi Pinball	Wario
3-2	Drive through all 5 numbered gates in order...backwards!	0:50	Delfino Square	Bowser
3-3	Collect all 15 coins while avoiding the Chain Chomp!	0:25	Luigi Circuit1	Luigi
3-4	Reach the finish before Yoshi!	0:00	Yoshi Falls	Peach
3-5	Drive through all 8 numbered gates in order!	0:45	Pipe Plaza	Yoshi
3-6	Hit Monty Moles with shells 5 times!	1:05	Moo Moo Farm	Luigi
3-7	Perform 10 power-slide turbo boosts in 1 lap!	1:10	Shroom Ridge	DK
3-8	Collect all 20 coins!	1:05	Twilight House	Mario
Boss	Reach the finish before Goomboss!	0:00	Baby Park	Toad
Level 4
4-1	Reach the finish before Donkey Kong!	0:00	DK Pass**	Wario
4-2	Blast 20 crabs!1	2:00	Palm Shore	Yoshi
4-3	Reach the finish before the red car!	0:00	Shroom Ridge	Mario
4-4	Drive through all 7 numbered gates in order!	0:45	Desert Hills	Wario
4-5	Collect all 15 coins. If you get squished by a Thwomp, you fail!	0:30	Bowser Castle 2	Bowser
4-6	Break all 10 item boxes while avoiding the Fake Items!	1:10	Choco Mountain	DK
4-7	Drive through all 10 gates!2	0:45	Waluigi Pinball	Toad
4-8	Perform 9 power-slide turbo boosts in 1 lap!	1:00	Luigi Circuit2	Luigi
Boss	Collect 50 coins while avoiding King Boo!	5:00	Lava Arena*	Peach
Level 5
5-1	Reach the finish before the stray Chain Chomp!	0:00	Peach Gardens	Peach
5-2	Drive backward and collect 15 coins! If you hit a snowman, you fail!	0:30	Frappe Snowland	DK
5-3	Destroy all 5 item boxes!	0:35	Koopa Beach 2	Toad
5-4	Drive through all 10 numbered gates in order!	1:05	Bowser Castle 2	Bowser
5-5	Complete 1 lap in the opposite direction within the time limit!	0:55	Mushroom Bridge	Mario
5-6	Collect all 18 coins!	0:45	Tart Top	Yoshi
5-7	Drive through all 8 numbered gates in order!	0:45	DK Pass**	Toad
5-8	Reach the finish before Mario!	0:00	Mario Circuit	Luigi
Boss	Hit the Big Bob-omb with 3 Bob-ombs!	5:00	Sand Arena*	Wario
Level 6
6-1	Drive backward across the spinning bridge! If you fall, you're out!	0:30	Bowser Castle	Bowser
6-2	Get Stars and run over 15 Rocky Wrenches!	0:55	Airship Fortress	Wario
6-3	Collect all 30 coins!	0:45	Choco Island 2	Yoshi
6-4	Destroy all 10 item boxes!	2:00	Block Fort	Mario
6-5	Drive through all 8 numbered gates in order!	0:50	Sky Garden	Peach
6-6	Perform 14 power-slide turbo boosts in 1 lap!	1:00	Yoshi Circuit	Yoshi
6-7	Collect all 40 coins!	1:30	Tick-Tock Clock	Toad
6-8	Reach the finish before Peach!	0:00	Peach Gardens**	Bowser
Boss	Use Mushrooms boosts to hit Chief Chilly and knock him off the stage 3 times!	5:00	Water Arena*	Luigi
Level 7
7-1	Perform 6 power-slide turbo boosts in 1 lap!	1:00	Rainbow Road	Peach
7-2	Reach the finish before Bowser!	0:00	Bowser Castle	Mario
7-3	Complete 2 laps within the time limit!3	1:30	Tick-Tock Clock	DK
7-4	Use shells to defeat all 30 Goombas within the time limit!	2:00	Mario Circuit	Toad
7-5	Collect all 20 coins!	0:55	Wario Stadium	Wario
7-6	Drive through all 8 numbered gates in order!	0:11	Nintendo DS	Mario
7-7	Drive backward and collect all 12 coins! If you hit a burner, you fail!	0:50	Airship Fortress	Bowser
7-8	Break all 10 item boxes while avoiding the Fake Items!	1:05	Banshee Boardwalk	Luigi
Boss	Reach the finish before Wiggler!	0:00	Mushroom Bridge	Mario

Wi-Fi gamingEdit

Mario Kart DS supports Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Once you press the Wifi icon in the game, you will be brought to a area where you can select if you want to race against people in your country, around the world, with friends, or with rivals. Once you do you will be able to chose a course, and which ever one with the most votes will be the one you play on. If the number of votes are equal, then it will pick randomly on the selected courses.

TriviaEdit

• In the Japanese version of the game, R.O.B is red & white and has the name HVC-012. HVC-012, or better know as Famicom Robot, is the original Japanese version of R.O.B. Additionally, HVC-012 is the true staff ghost on Desert Hills and Rainbow Road, not R.O.B (thus the * in the table above). HVC-012 has the same karts as R.O.B, even down to the same coloration.
• Mario Kart Slot Cars were created as a promotion for this game.
• During the race when a character gets the item box, the item-roulette sound effect stop selection was "Blah". The item-roulette sound effect carries over to Mario Kart Wii.
• When players play Mario Kart DS on any DS systems, Mario will say "Wahoo!" in Original DS, but "Here we go!" in DS Lite, DSi and 3DS.
• The American version of Mario Kart DS is one of the few games on the DS to have a multiple language option (almost all European DS games have this function, though). Depending on the language of the DS, the language on the game will change; however, it will not change into Japanese.
• Mario Kart DS is one of the first games to be released that was compatible with the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, allowing players to go online and race against other users around the world.
• A player's overall game ranking (*, **, or *** stars, if achieved) will appear next to his or her name online while racing.

Critic ReviewsEdit

• Mario Kart DS still maintains a 9.2 average at Gamestats, #1 on the Nintendo DS (as of 15:40, 22 December 2006 (EST)).
• Gamespy reviewer Bryn Williams admitted that online, Nintendo "trimmed it back a little too much for my liking", but was certain that "Even with a few online flaws, this is the best Mario Kart ever.." (5/5; Multiplayer: Great)
• Gamespot reviewer Justin Calvert had similar quips with the online feature: "Whether these opponents were leaving voluntarily or because of network problems is anybody's guess, but it's equally irritating either way." Yet, he finished up similarly by saying "Mario Kart DS is without a doubt one of the best games to hit the Nintendo DS to date." (9.2/10; Gamespot Editor's Choice; DS Game of the Year)
• IGN reviewer Craig Harris commented that "it's just hard to ignore just how limited the online presentation is." But again, his closing line was this: "The only way to finish this review is just to say it: this is the greatest Mario Kart game ever developed, and is without a doubt the best DS game of 2005." (9.5/10; IGN Editor's Choice Award; DS Game of the Year)

Scores received in the major gaming review sites:

• Gamerankings - 93%
• Gamespot - 9.2/10
• IGN - 9.5/10
• Joystiq - 9.0/10
• Nintendo Power - 9.0/10

See alsoEdit

• Snaking
• Super Mario Kart
• Mario Kart 64
• Mario Kart: Super Circuit
• Mario Kart: Double Dash‼
• Mario Kart series

   

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